Folding display



Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING DISPLAY Application May 6, 1935, Serial No. 19,908

11 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a folding display for advertising and dispensing purposes adapted to be placed upon a counter, in a display window, or any other suitable place,.for supporting and displaying merchandise and to support a pictorial representation either on or forming a part of the device.

An important object of the invention is to provide a folding display preferably made from a single sheet of cardboard or the like which will collapse to fiat form for storage and shipping, which may be readily collapsed and set up by even an unexperienced person, and which when in set up position, will maintain its proper distended position so that it can be depended upon to serve as a suitable support for the display and also for articles placed thereon without danger of collapsing.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of new and improved locking means for holding a display of this kind in distended position.

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of adisplay which has an intermittent supporting means in the base thereof which also acts as a hand hold device for carrying the display when in distended position.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and claims, a preferred form of the invention being shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the display in distended form viewed from the lower rear side thereof;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the display in distended position; and

Fig. 3 illustrates a one-piece blank from. which the structure is made.

In folding displays made from cardboard and similar sheet material it is desirable to form the complete display from a single sheet of material which preferably has the printed or decorated face on one side only of the sheet. It is also desirable to provide a simple lock which may be readily moved to locking or unlocking position in a manner which is obvious to persons entirely unfamiliar with such displays, and to provide a lock which when in set up position will hold the display against any danger of collapse.

The present invention provides a simple locking means located at each end of the display, in its present form having the form of a hinge which engages beneath the forwardly extending or step portion of the display with a portion of the hinge folding at right angles against the back support so that when placed upon a plane surface the locking member is itself prevented from unlocking movement, thus insuring that the step portion of the display and the base are locked in their distended position, from which they can only be disengaged by raising the display to free the locking device.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, this display is shown as comprising a single sheet 5 of material cut and scored to form a main display plate 6 adapted to be held in upright position by a foldable base all made of the same sheet of material and the base comprising, in the present case, a number of connected angular steps I, a bottom piece 8, and a back 9, the outer extremity In of which is adhesively or otherwise secured to the lower portion of the back of the main display 6.

It will be understood that the main plate 6 may have any desired shape Qr'construction, the steps may be varied in number, shape and form; a single step may be provided if desired, or an inclined portion may extend from the main plate 6 to the bottom 8; and with the base extending forwardly from the lower portion of the main plate, the exposed front surface is all from the same face of the sheet 5 so that a single printed sheet applied thereto will suitably illustrate the device for display purposes.

The steps I are formed by parallel score lines I l and 12 on opposite sides of the sheet 5, between the lower step and the base 8 is a fold line I3 and between the base and the rear 9 is a fold line l4. At the ends of the base are locking wings l5 each connected thereto by a fold line l6 and the upper edge I! conforming to the under surface of the step 1 or any other distended portion so that it will directly engage this portion in its distended form. The ends 18 of the locking wings l5 are out free from the adjacent portions -of the blank and the other end I9 of each looking wing is likewise severed from the back portion 9 and has a fold line 20 at right angles to the fold line N5 of the wing itself with a finger hold perforation 2| therein for easily engaging and moving this end l9 which constitutes a locking tab for the wing I 5.

When this structure is assembled by attaching the outer edge Ill to the back of the main plate 7 the steps 1 will be distended by pushing up the locking wings l5 to engage the under sides thereof and at the same time the locking tab l9 for each wing is turned outwardly at right angles to the locking wing so that the upper edge of the locking wing engages behind the lower projecting edge 22 which extends below the hori- Zontal portion of the uppermost step so that each tab I9 is locked in position at right angles to the locking wing and the lower edge 23 in this locking position as clearly shown in Fig. 1, is substantially flush with the bottom of the base 8 upon which the display rests so that in this position each locking wing 15 will be held in lock ing position because the tab 89 cannot be withdrawn from its engagement with the projection 22.

In order to disengage the locking tab IS the display must be raised free from the supporting base at which time the locking tab may be pulled outwardly together with the locking wing i5 by engaging the finger in the finger hole 2|.

In order to additionally support the distended portion of the display, two tongues 25 and 26 are cut from the median portion of the base and back but are left connected to the back by hinge lines 2! and 23 respectively and the free edges of these tongues are secured at the bottoms of the horizontal portions of the steps '7 adjacent thereto as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so that the openings made in the back by the tongues 25 and 26 provide a sufficient space for inserting the fingers and thumb for handling the display, raising it to engage and disengage the locking members, and for easily positioning the display from the back wherever desired.

When collapsed by disengaging the locking members the display will fold flatly together about the lower fold line l3 so that the base and back structure is collapsed at the back of the step structure. Thus the display will occupy a minimum space for storage and shipment and is easily set up, collapsed and handled for display purposes. I

I claim:

1. A folding sheet display comprising an upright display plate, connected base, display and back portions, the latter attached at its outer edge to the lower rear portion of the plate, a locking member hinged at the end of the base and movable upwardly to engage below the display portion to hold it distended, and a locking tab hinged at the end of the member and movable at an angle thereto within the back portion and in the plane of the display plate to hold the member in upright distending position.

2. A foldable sheet display comprising an upright plate, connected base, display and back portions, the end of the back portion attached to the lower rear side of the plate, a locking member hinged to the end of the base and movable upwardly to engage and distend the display portion, and a locking tab hinged at the end of the member and movable at right angles thereto to engage the inner side of the back portion and in the same plane with the upright plate below the plate for holding the locking member in distending position. v

3. In a folding sheet display, a display plate having connected base, display and back portions, the outer edge of the latter attached to the lower rear side of the plate, a locking member hinged at the end of the base and having a hinged tab at one end out free from the material of the back, the member being movable to engage and distend the display portion above the base and the tab being movable outwardly at right angles to the member within the back portion in the plane of the display plate and engaging a surface upon which the display is supported to hold the mem-- ber in upright distending position.

4. In a folding sheet display, a main display plate having connected base, display and back portions, the latter attached to the rear of the plate, a locking member hinged at the end of the base and movable upwardly to engage the under side of the display portion and having a locking tab hinged at the end of the member and movable at right angles thereto to engage the inner side of the back portion below its attachment to the plate and in the same plane as the display plate and also having a lower edge to engage a plane surface upon which the display is supported for holding the locking member in upright distended position.

5. In a foldable sheet display, a display plate and connected front, base, and back portions, the latter attached to the rear side of the plate, and a locking member hinged at the rear of the base and having an angular tab hinged thereto and movable with the member to engage the inner side of the back member in the same plane as the display plate, and the tab extending outwardly from the locking member and having a surface upon which the display is supported for preventing the locking member from disengagement while it is supported in a display position.

6. In a folding display comprising a single sheet of material, connected display plate, front, base, and back portions, the latter attached at its outer edge to the lower rear side of the plate, a locking member hinged at each end of the base and each including a tab hinged to swing outwardly at right angles to the hinge line of the member and foldable with the member within and in engagement with the back portion and in the same plane as the display plate to hold the tab at right angles to the locking member with its lower edge substantially flush with the bottom of the base so that when the display is supported on a plane surface the locking member Will be held from collapsing movement.

7. A folding sheet display cut and scored to form a display plate with connected front, base and back portions, the latter attached at its outer edge to the lower rear portion of the plate, means for distending the front portion at a spaced distance from the back comprising an annular locking member having one portion in the same plane as the plate so that the base will hold the plate in upright position, and additional supports comprising locking tongues cut from the material of the back and secured to the front portion forming spaced hand hold recesses by which the display may be lifted from the back thereof by inserting the thumb and fingers in the recesses.

'8. In a folding sheet display, a sheet cut and scored to form connected display plate, front, base and back portions, the latter secured at its outer edge to the lower portion of the plate, means at the ends of the base including a locking tab in the plane of the plate for engaging and distending the front, base and back portions to hold the plate in upright position, and tongues cut from and hinged to the back portion and attached at their free ends to the front portion for forming a bottom and an upper recess to provide a double hand hold by which the display may be lifted.

9. In a folding sheet display, a sheet cut and scored to form connected display plate, front, base and back portions, the latter secured at its outer edge to the lower portion of the plate, the

base, front and back portions being extended to form a hollow support for holding the plate in upright position, an annular locking member having one part in the plane of the display plate, and a hand hold portion comprising tongues cut from the back portion vertically spaced apart and attached at their free ends to the front portion and for additionally holding the parts in spaced relation.

10. In a folding sheet display, a supporting base structure comprising connected front, bottom and back portions, a locking member hinged to the bottom portion and having a locking tab at its rear and hinged to extend outwardly at an angle to the member parallel to the back and adapted to engage within the back portion and to rest upon a plane surface which supports the base for holding the locking member in distending position.

11. In a folding sheet display, a supporting base comprising connected front, bottom and rear portions together forming a hollow support when distended, locking members hinged to the ends of the bottom portion and movable between the front and rear portions to hold them in distended position, a locking tab hinged at the end of each member and movable outwardly at an angle thereto to engage the inside of the back portion parallel with the rear portion and to rest upon a support for the base to prevent a collapsing movement of the locking member until the base is raised from its support, and a hand hold portion intermediate the ends of the base comprising tongues cut from the back portion and extending forwardly within the base providing upper and lower recesses for the insertion of the thumb and fingers for lifting the display from the rear thereof to release the locking members.

HENRY A.- ZIEMMERMAN. 

